Commission conditionally approves Chapel in Green’s 400‑person community room expansion

The Green City Planning & Zoning Commission conditionally approved a proposed 8,500‑square‑foot community room addition at The Chapel in Green, subject to removing an undersized parking space and verifying FAA approval for crane operations during construction.

Joe Schafer, executive director of The Chapel in Green, said the addition would include a 400‑person community room with interior and exterior bathrooms and a patio to serve both church ministry and community events. "We're looking to build a 400 person community room," Schafer said.

Planning staff noted the addition is a conditionally permitted use and that contiguous property owners were notified; staff recommended conditional approval and reported that final engineering sign‑off had already been received. Staff and the applicant discussed removing a small (eight‑foot) parking stall that had previously been a handicap space but no longer met code; the applicant agreed removing the spot was acceptable. Staff also advised that crane use for steel erection would require FAA notification and verification.

A motion to approve the conditional use certificate passed after a second. The motion included the conditions that the applicant remove the one nonconforming parking spot and provide architect verification to the commission that FAA requirements for crane use had been satisfied.

Commissioners praised the chapel's community contributions and noted the expansion is intended to match the existing materials and scale of the campus. Next steps include incorporation of the parking change and verification of crane permitting into final engineering and permitting packages.